Liverpool’s greatest ever bantamweight came up short in his three world title fights yet there remained no fighter more worthy of making the ascent to global glory.

The Merseyside boxing fraternity are mourning the loss of one of their greatest sons after 68-year-old Rudkin passed away yesterday.

Former world light-heavyweight champion and fellow darling of the Liverpool fight game, John Conteh, has led the tributes to Rudkin, the finest 8st 6lb boxer the region has produced. says the man schooled at the Golden Gloves ABC under the tutelage of Dougie Renton, was an inspiration and as a teenager watched in awe as he swept up domestically en route to world title tilts.

“Alan was a great boxer, a real good all-rounder”, recalls Conteh.

“He could punch but was a great strategist and he was also incredibly courageous. But Alan could take a punch and had great endurance which came from his hard work in training.

“I used to hear about Alan and other great local fighters like Harry Scott and Les McAteer when I was a kid – they were the big names who inspired us. I talked with Alan many times at ex-boxers’ events and can say he was a modest man and a gentleman.”

After an amateur career which saw him reach an ABA final and earn caps for England, Rudkin quickly gathered momentum when he turned professional in 1962.

Following a debut knockout win at the Liverpool Stadium over Ireland’s Dickie Hanna, Rudkin soon established 18 victories from 19 paid bouts – a record which earned him the Boxing Writers’ Club ‘Best Young Boxer of the Year’ award and his first major title shot.

On March 22, 1965 Rudkin floored Johnny Caldwell in Nottingham to lay claim to the British and British Empire bantamweight belts.

Such was his dominance, Rudkin was soon elevated for the first of his trio of world championship fights against Japan’s Masahiko Harada where he would suffer the injustices so common in the sport.

Many at ringside in Tokyo on November 30, 1965 lamented the judges’ unanimous decision to hand the home fighter the points win, even Harada admitted: “This is the fastest-moving man I have ever met, and hitting him was like trying to hit a fish in deep water.”

Although losing and then reclaiming his domestic and Empire straps in uncompromising battles with former amateur foe Walter McGowan, as well as being on the wrong end of another tight points decision in a European title fight against Mimoun Ben Ali in 1967, Rudkin launched a second assault on the world crown.

Taking on Australian Lionel Rose on his own patch, the city fighter lost a split decision before his third and final crack at world glory ended in second round knockout to the dangerous Mexican Ruben Olivares.

Although 1969 proved a year of disappointments on two fronts, Rudkin also claimed the Lonsdale Belt outright with a knockout victory over Evan Armstrong to etch his name into boxing history.

Two more successful British title fights against Johnny Clark provided an epic end to his 42-8 career which spanned 10 years.

Rudkin would also win and then lose the European belt in 1971, but will forever be remembered as a one of this fighting city’s favourite men.